


efflorescence

by sarahshelena



Series: orphan black with dæmons [10]
Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daemons, Gen, Hostage Situations, Season/Series 04 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-29 21:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8506132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahshelena/pseuds/sarahshelena
Summary: in the aftermath of siobhan and kira's capture, sarah's daughter finds herself and her dæmon adjusting to the situation — in far quicker and more permanent ways than they expected.“efflorescence”(noun) recognised as one of the most beautiful words in the english language, efflorescence is recognized as a state of blooming, flowering and development.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MaryAnnett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryAnnett/gifts).



> in my other dæmon au fics, kira’s dæmon is unsettled — in the _‘his dark materials’_ universe that these fics are based on, children's dæmons are able to change shape at will until their humans go through puberty and their dæmon takes on a fixed form that represents their personality and who they are. this process is called ‘settling’.
> 
> **DÆMON FORMS**
> 
> [kira’s dæmon’s](https://sarahshelena.tumblr.com/post/159079269248/7-of-o-b-w-i-t-h-d-%C3%A6-m-o-n-s-by) name is alaunus (though his name is not mentioned in the other stories, only the notes.)
> 
> the forms he takes in this fic are:
> 
> a fishing cat, a little known species of feline with webbed paws shown [ here](https://sarahshelena.tumblr.com/tagged/fishing-cat)
> 
> a fennec fox, the smallest species in the canid family shown [ here](https://sarahshelena.tumblr.com/tagged/fennec-fox)
> 
> (he has taken this form before in one of my previous fics.)
> 
> and I had already decided upon his settled form when I wrote them
> 
> * * *
> 
> Mrs S' dæmon is a wolverine, and he is shown [here](https://sarahshelena.tumblr.com/tagged/wolverine)
> 
> he has no name as of yet but if I write any more about them I will find one for him
> 
> * * *
> 
> Ferdinand's dæmon is a black headed centipede (scolopendra morsitans) shown [here](https://sarahshelena.tumblr.com/tagged/centipede)
> 
>  
> 
> _(some descriptions of invertebrates included in fic, may be potential triggers)_
> 
> * * *
> 
> set in 4x10, just after the last scene with mrs s, kira and ferdinand ends. spoilers (obvs), and a surprising turn of events

“Anybody hungry?”

The tall man turned to Mrs S and Kira, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. 

“No, thank you.” Mrs S’s voice was clipped, restrained. She did not like this man. Her dæmon, a thickset wolverine, echoed her distaste and obvious dislike, opening his mouth and baring his teeth threateningly. 

Alaunus sympathised; he was curled up in Kira’s arms, fishing-cat formed to comfort her, but he still kept his large steely eyes fixed upon the intruder. 

Her mum had been on the other end of that call, she was sure of it. She could feel something was wrong, like the unsettling, hysteria-like fear she felt creep over her whenever Mrs S received a phone call that could be bad news (and often was.) 

She squeezed Mrs S’s hand, her eyes fixed upon her adoptive grandmother’s face and received only a minute shake of the head in response. 

_Not now,_ it meant, _be careful and be cautious._

But Kira knew how to be clever, too. 

“Can I go to the bathroom?” she asked, sliding down from Mrs S’s lap. 

A hand suddenly closed around her wrist, clamping down painfully and wrenched her around to face him — Ferdinand, his foul breath filling her nose, said lowly, warningly, “It’s not polite to leave the table before you've been given permission, now is it, little Kira?” 

Mrs S’s dæmon gave a deep, rattling roar of anger, hoarse and guttural; he had squared up beside her and looked ready to tear Ferdinand’s eyes out to protect Kira, but when the spectacled man blinked reflexively in surprise, it was from the sight of Alaunus turning on him in Kira’s arms and changing into a fennec fox before his eyes, snarling fiercely into his face and making spots of saliva fleck his glasses. 

Ferdinand released Kira and straightened up, reaching into his suit pocket and drawing out a silk handkerchief to clean his glasses with, “It looks like you're not the only one around here who needs to be taught manners,” he remarked. 

Upon the withdrawal of the pocket square, his dæmon, unseen until that moment, slithered out of the pocket and made her way down his sleeve, scuttling along until she reached his cuff, and remained there, her curled antennae extending and waving precariously, mandibles clicking unpleasantly as she watched them. 

Alaunus lifted his lips to show his teeth once more, which made Kira clutch him all the tighter with love, and he buried his nose into the curls of her doe-brown hair, whispering to her to try once more. 

“I'd like to go to the bathroom, please.” Kira mumbled. 

“Well, now, that's better,” Ferdinand tucked the silk square back into his pocket, “Wasn’t so hard, now, was it?” 

Kira set her jaw stubbornly and didn't answer — but for appearance’s sake, she retained an expression of polite indifference. 

He stepped aside and let her make her way past him into the bathroom where she locked the door behind her, setting her daemon down upon the porcelain sink where he perched daintily as she ran the tap gently so a trickle of water would be heard from outside the door if anyone was listening. 

“Launey?” she whispered. 

“Yeah?” he pricked his large ears and lifted his head to look up at her. 

“You could beat that Ferdinand guy’s dæmon if you had to, couldn't you?” her dark eyes were fearful, but determined. 

He could — he had won scuffles against other children’s dæmons in this form before — Ferdinand’s dæmon being a centipede, the question of her size wasn't so much the problem so much as her mandibles were. 

A bite from her would be nasty, Kira knew, but Alaunus could bite too, and would in an instant where it counted. 

He was small, and so was she, still — but they were fierce, and clever. They could survive this. 

A scar over her left eyebrow at her temple, half-hidden in the dark blonde hairs told of her strength; she barely remembered the pain when the car had hit her, but she remembered Helena's hug before it, hesitant and trembling and warm, and not long after — her lip trembled — her Mum’s screams. 

“And I don't think I'll be changing anymore,” he admitted. 

There was a glowing, heart-piercing moment in which the reality of what he'd said sunk in. 

“Really?” she breathed, taking in his final, true form, utterly overjoyed despite the dire situation they were facing. 

Yeah, it feels right,” he answered. 

“We can do this, Launey,” she whispered fiercely. 

“I know, Kira,” her dæmon said in a hushed voice, jumping into her arms and she hugged him tightly, “We’ll do it together.”

**Author's Note:**

> kudos & comment if you liked this, and tell me what you think :)
> 
> come see me at my fanfic blog and send me prompts and shite - sarahshelena.tumblr.com


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